Diving Martinique
With the shelter of the Atlantic swell, the Caribbean coast offers a score diving possibilities. Submarine canyons, falling perforated coral faults and caves, solid masses and plates, wrecks of the eruption of Mount-Pelé, etc. all offer excellent diving opportunities. Martinique is noted for its healthy fish populations, which include schools of curious Atlantic Spadefish that cruise around numerous walls and pinnacles.
Best time to dive
Year-round.
Visibility
Visibility can be up to 100 feet.
Water temperatures
The water temperature ranges from 80°F to 86°F.
Weather and climate
The mean temperature averages 79°F. Two regular, alternating wind currents (east and northeast) cool the atmosphere. These are the trade winds, called les alizés. There is only about a 5° difference between summer and winter temperatures.
Language
French and Creole
Passport/Visa requirements
Citizens of countries other than nationals of Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland, who should hold a national identity card, require passports. All travelers should have a round-trip or onward ticket. Check visa requirements for your country for your length of stay.
Currency
Euro – Get exchange rates at http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Electrical current
220/240 volts at 50 cycles. Adaptors or transformers are necessary for North American appliances.
Capital
Fort-de-France
General information
Martinique lies in the heart of the Caribbean Archipelago and is one of the many islands, which make up the group of Lesser Antilles or “Breezy Islands.” The island has a surface area of 426 square miles and at its greatest length and width, measures 50 miles by 22 miles, respectively. The land rises gradually from the coast toward the center and northern parts of the island. It’s in the north that you find the two peaks of the Carbet and Mont Pelée, a dormant volcano that is the highest mountain on the island at 4,586 ft. This part of Martinique is also a legendary tropical rainforest. The population in Martinique is made up of various peoples. Their diversity is the result of the mixing of different ethnic groups that, at one time or another, settled on the island.
Martinique is a French island with French atmosphere, cuisine, and style. Martinique has followed the same course of history as France since 1635. It shows its Frenchness very noticeably through its love affair with good food. Many shops close from noon to 2:30 for the sacrosanct tradition of a copious and leisurely lunch, and dinner is often a gastronomic adventure lasting all evening. Since local people dine out as a matter of course, visitors to Martinique have one of the widest choices of restaurants in the Caribbean, more than 150.
Map
Get a map of Martinique from WorldAtlas.com.